1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to methods of making rings and particularly to a new and improved method which is especially beneficial for making small rings.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Miniaturization of electronic devices has brought about a need for components of very small size. One such component often employed in small diode packages is a ring used as an insulator and a support between electrodes in the package. A typical ring might have an outside diameter of only 0.030 inches.
Such small rings can be difficult to make. One currently used method involves cutting the rings individually from small tubes. Each ring is then ground, polished and metalized individually. Because of the small size of the rings, the handling and processing of them using this method is tedious and time consuming resulting in low yields and high production costs. In addition, the thicknesses of the rings may be nonuniform, and, since the sidewalls of the rings are exposed during metalization, metal may be deposited on the sidewalls which is undesirable when the rings function as insulators.
Another approach to making small rings might be to chemically etch them from a plate using photolithographic methods. The lateral etching effect occuring during etching of the interior and exterior surfaces of the sidewalls of the rings, however, would be such that the sidewall, which is very thin to begin with, would probably be dissipated leaving no ring at all.
In view of the above-mentioned problems, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method of making a large number of small rings relatively easily and inexpensively.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of making rings having uniform thicknesses.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a method of making rings which facilitates the metalizing of only preselected portions of the rings.